Uniform cap



H. GOLDMAN Feb; 6, 1945.

UNIFORM CAP Filed June 10, 1943 the stiff visor Patented Feb. 6, 1945 p UNIFORM car I Harry Goldman,

New York, a'ssig'nor to Worcester Cap Company, '.Boston',i"Mass'., a c0- partnership composed Louis Goldman, Max

Goldman Application June 1943, Seria;l No. 490,301 3 of Hyman .Goldman,

Goldman, and Emanuelv 4 Claims ((31. -195) This invention relates to improvements in uniform caps and more particularly'to'military caps of the type worn by officers which are made with a relatively stiff band and visor and with a flaring crown which is normally held in raised posi tion by a front stay.

Ofiicers caps of the type described are hardto pack because the flat top or tip which is spread outwardly by a circular wire grommet is inclined with respect to the top of the band and 'the height of the cap infront between the bottom edge of the 'visor and the top of the capis materially" greater than the height at the "rear portion, which is no greater than that of the-band.

It is an object of the present invention to pro vide a uniform cap of the type described; the top of which may be collapsed for packing purposes. g

A further object of my invention is to provide a uniform cap having a collapsible top which is retained in normal upright position even when the cap is not being worn, but which after removal of the cap ornament may be readily collapsed so that the cap will fit into a smaller space for packing.

More specifically it is an object of my inventionto provide in a uniform cap a frontstay which is free to fold like a hinge at its attachment to the stifi band, the stay being free to separate from the front quarters or crown of the cap as the top is collapsed.

Further objects and advantages of my improvements in a uniform cap will be more readily apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment thereof as disclosed'in the attached drawing, in which Fig. l is a side elevation of a uniform cap, a portion of the front part of the crown being broken away and shown in section to show the improved construction;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the cap on an enlarged scale, the front of the crown which is shown in section being in collapsed position; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the front stay.

The cap as shown in Fig. 1 is conventional in shape and construction except as hereinafter indicated. The cap includes the stiff head band l0, l2, and the crown M. The rear part of the crown normally droops below the band [0 as indicated at l6, while the'front of the crown l8 normally stands in upright position, the quarter portions outwardly and upwardly flaring from the band Hi. In the conventional ing of the top l4 and to the construction, the front {of the crown i8 is held in the position shownjin Fig. 1 .by .a relatively stiff "stay attached to the outer "fabric coverinner lining thereof. A uniform'capxof this character is bulkyand (lif ficult to pack. If'too much pressure is applied to the top of the cap in packing'the'stay willfrbe broken down and the crown willnotir'eturnto its proper position'when 'the cap :is unpacked.

Accordingto my invention I have provided an improved construction which permits collapsing the crown to theposition shown'inifig .2 withoutcausing damage 'to'the cap. The cap 'fmay H be readily restored to the shape'ofl ig'. lby snapping up" the front of the'crown and thecap will beretained in the shape shown in Figu l.

The band In includes astiffener'ZO covered-on the outside by the fabric 22; which in turn'is covered by braid24; -O-n the inner side the stiffener'band is coveredby the lining 26" and thesweat band 28. The fabric piece '22 is joined by a stitched seam 30 to the flaring part of the fabric crown 32 which is usually made up of separate quarter portions; The top of the cap is formed from a slightly oval-shaped fabric piece 34 joined at. the stitched seam 36 to the quarters 32. The top i stretched fiat by a wire grommet 38. A lining 26 is preferably attached covering the full interiorof the cap.

In order to maintain the front of the crown in normal raised position as shown in Fig. 1, I provide a front stay 40 shown in detail in Fig. 3. The stay 40 composed of hair cloth is relatively wide and provided with a slotted opening purpose which will be later described. At the upper and lower edges 2. pair of fabric'strips 44 and 46 are attached to the stay! by the lines of stitching 48 and 50. The fabric strips 44 and 46 provide means for attaching the stay'to the body of the cap in such amanner that the stay is free to fold similar to a hinge. As shown in Fig. 2, the strip 46 is attached to the stiffener 20 by the stitching 52. It will'be noted that the edge of the stay 40 is attached to the fabric crown adjacent the seam 36 by the stitching 54. The stay 40 between its ends is entirely free from the outer fabric 32 and inner lining 26. a

In military caps of this character it is necessary to provide some means for attaching the cap ornament or insignia. In the usual construction a single eyelet is fastened to: the three layers, namely the outer fabric, the stay and the lining. In my construction I provide an eyelet 42 for a.

abuts but is not directly at-. tached to the band or stiffener 20. Thestrip 44 The fabric striplB serves as 56 in the fabric 32 and a similar eyelet 58 in the lining layer 26. These eyelets are arranged in alignment and the slotted opening 42 in the stay permits the insertion of the pin by which the cap ornament (not shown) is aflixed. It

' will be understood that before collapsing the cap for packing the ornament will be removed.

Normally-the raised front of the cap will be retained in the position shown in Fig. l with the three layers-the outer fabric 32, the stay 40 and 7 Pressure on the the lining 26close together. top of the cap (after removal of the ornament) will collapse the top to the position shown in Fig. 2, in which it will be noted that the quarters 32 droop down and separate from the stay 40. a hinge at the point where the stay is attached to the stiffener or band 20. Since the stay is attached to the band 20 through the fabric hinge 46, it is not subject to sharp flexing which might break the stiffening.

When the stay is in upright position the crown will be held up even though the cap is not resting on the head; The attachment of the ornament further assists in holding the crown in its proper position as the crown can not be collapsed while the fabric, stay and lining are held tightly together. 7 I

I claim:

1'. A collapsible uniform cap comprising a band,

a visor attached to the band, a crown of flexible material, a front stay attached at one end to the upper edge of said band and at the other end tothe front of the crown forwardly of said band, whereby said stay normally extends forwardly and upwardly from the band to the crown, said stay being free to fold at the point Where it is attached to the band whereby the crown mat be collapsed.

2. A collapsible uniform cap comprising a relatively stiff band, a relatively stifi visor attached to the band, a crown of flexible material attached to the band, said crown comprising a top and flared quarter portions, a relatively Wide front stay, means attaching the lower edge of the stay to the band, and an attachment between the upper edge of the stay and the marginal edge of the top, said means serving as a hinge to permit the stay to swing downwardly and forwardly with respect to the band whereby the crown may be collapsed.

3. In a collapsible uniform cap of the type described, a relatively stifi band, a relatively stiff visor attached to the band, a crown of flexible material attached to the band, said crown including flared quarter portions and a substantially circular top, a lining for the cap, a front stay interposed between the quarter portions and the lining, the upper and lower being attached to the crown said stay being free to separate from the ends of said stay and band respectively, quarter portions and lining between its ends, said stay, quarter portions and lining being provided with aligned openings adapted to receive the attachment of a cap ornament, said stay being free to fold at the point where it is attached to the band whereby the crown of collapsed.

4. In a uniform ofiicers cap, a band, a visor attached to the band, a crown of flexible ma-, terial attached to the band, a fabric lining for the cap, a non-metallic front stay attached at its ends to the crown and to the band, said crown and lining having openings at the front of the cap and separate eyelets affixed to the margins of saidopenings, said eyelets being adapted to receive an ornament attachment, and said stay having an opening in alignment with the eyelet openings, said stay being free to fold at the point where it is attached to the band and free to separate from the crown and lining whereby 40 the crown may be collapsed for packing purposes.

HARRY GOLDMAN.

thecap may be 

